Department of Mammology (356103)

The Department of Mammology at the Academic Hospital Asklepios Barmbek offers the full range of medical services in this field. Of particular interest for the department is the diagnostics and treatment of breast cancer. The medical team of the department consists of competent surgeons, radiologists, oncologists, plastic surgeons, psycho-oncologists, social workers and nurses. The high quality services are confirmed by the certificates of the German Cancer Society and the German Society of Senology. The department is headed by Dr. Ursula Scholz.

To date, breast cancer is one of the most common female diseases. Specialists of the department are convinced that timely and accurate diagnosis is the key to successful treatment of the pathology. The radiologists of the department have the latest diagnostic equipment: ultrasound, mammography, MRI, etc. Also, doctors make tissue sampling for accurate diagnosis and determination of the nature of suspicious disorders in the breast. Such diagnostic procedures are performed under local anesthesia. These can be ultrasound- or mammography-guided.

After diagnosis, an individual treatment plan is developed for the patient. As a rule, the first therapeutic measure is surgical intervention to remove the tumor. Thanks to modern surgical techniques, in most cases surgeons manage to save the breast. However, when the tumor is removed, tissues are also removed, which affects the appearance of the breast. Therefore, to eliminate cosmetic defects, the department offers innovative plastic interventions. In advanced stages, complete removal of the breast may be required. In such cases, the patient is offered a breast augmentation surgery: breast augmentation with the help of implants or with the help of own tissues.

After the breast preservation surgery,the patient will be prescribed radiation therapy, which helps reduce the risk of relapse. In addition, if axillary lymph nodes are affected by cancer cells, radiation therapy will also be performed after complete breast removal.

The department also offers drug therapy for breast cancer. Depending on the form of breast cancer, the specialists of the department prescribe chemotherapy, antihormone therapy, antibody therapy or a combination of these therapies.

It is known that in many cases the cause of cancer is heredity. The inheritance of the BRCA1/2 gene (the so-called breast cancer gene) causes an increased risk of developing breast cancer (even in men). Therefore, the range of services of the department includes the prevention of this type of cancer through regular diagnostics or removal of the breast (mastectomy).

The scope of the department’s tasks also includes treatment of benign breast diseases. There is provided both high-quality diagnostics and treatment of fibroadenomas, mastopathies, cysts, limp and many other diseases.